Residence permit

A residence permit is the permission to a foreign citizen to live in Finland and repeatedly enter the country for other reasons than tourism or short-term stay. Generally it is needed for all foreign citizens except EU/EEA citizens and citizens of Switzerland citizens. A permit is needed when a foreign person stays in Finland for more than three months. The residence permit is granted by the state of Finland. There are different types of residence permits; the first residence permit is generally admitted for one year.

Except for certain cases, people who intend to work in Finland are commonly required to have a residence permit based on employment. An employed person is required to have a residence permit also for short time employment, i.e. employment that lasts less than three months. More information about cases when a residence permit for an employed person is not required is explained further on.